Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Essential Questions Enduring Understandings GLCEs Assessments District Resources Mexico Why does where you live influence how you live? How do peoples preserve their traditional culture while adapting to modern life? How do people use and preserve natural resources? The emergence of agriculture let to the emergence of agrarian civilizations. Early cultures (Olmec, Maya, Aztecs) had characteristics such as government, written language, religion, technology, etc., defining them as civilized. Spanish influence has shaped the culture of Mexico. Geography, climate and natural resources affect the way people live and work. Societies have evolved over time. Individuals and businesses participate in international trade. Political instability has been a History H1.1.2 Compare and contrast several different calendar systems used in the past and present and their cultural significance. W1.2.2 Describe the importance of the natural environment in the development of agricultural settlements in different locations (e.g., available water for irrigation, adequate precipitation, and suitable growing season). W2.1.1 Explain how the environment favored hunter gatherer, pastoral and small scale agricultural ways of life in different parts of the Western Hemisphere. W2.1.2 Describe how the invention of agriculture led to the emergence of agrarian civilizations (seasonal harvests, specialized crops, cultivation, and development of villages and towns). W2.1.4 Use evidence to identify defining characteristics of early civilizations and early pastoral nomads (government, language, religion, social structure, technology, and division of labor). W3.1.1 Analyze the role of environment in the development of early empires, referencing both useful environmental features and those that presented obstacles. Required: Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Assessment Formative: District: Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Transcript
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings GLCEs Assessments
District Resources
Mexico Why does where you live influence how you live? How do peoples preserve their traditional culture while adapting to modern life? How do people use and preserve natural resources?
The emergence of agriculture let to the emergence of agrarian civilizations. Early cultures (Olmec, Maya, Aztecs) had characteristics such as government, written language, religion, technology, etc., defining them as civilized. Spanish influence has shaped the culture of Mexico. Geography, climate and natural resources affect the way people live and work. Societies have evolved over time. Individuals and businesses participate in international trade. Political instability has been a
History H1.1.2 Compare and contrast several different calendar systems used in the past and present and their cultural significance. W1.2.2 Describe the importance of the natural environment in the development of agricultural settlements in different locations (e.g., available water for irrigation, adequate precipitation, and suitable growing season). W2.1.1 Explain how the environment favored hunter gatherer, pastoral and small scale agricultural ways of life in different parts of the Western Hemisphere. W2.1.2
Describe how the invention of agriculture led to the emergence of agrarian civilizations (seasonal harvests, specialized crops, cultivation, and development of villages and towns).
W2.1.4 Use evidence to identify defining characteristics of early civilizations and early pastoral nomads (government, language, religion, social structure, technology, and division of labor). W3.1.1 Analyze the role of environment in the development of early empires, referencing both useful environmental features and those that presented obstacles.
Required: Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Assessment Formative: District:
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit
constant in Mexico’s history. A shared border with the United States brings about interdependence. Key Terms & Vocabulary
W3.1.3 Describe similarities and difference among Mayan, Aztec, and Incan societies, including economy, religion, and role and class structure. W3.1.4 Describe the regional struggles and changes in governmental systems among the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Empires. W3.1.5 Construct a timeline of main events on the origin and development of early and classic ancient civilizations of the Western Hemisphere (Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and Incan).
Geography
G1.2.6 Apply the skills of geographic inquiry (asking geographic questions, acquiring geographic information, organizing geographic information, analyzing geographic information, and answering geographic questions) to analyze a problem or issue of importance to a region of the Western Hemisphere.
G2.1.1 Describe the landform features and the climate of the region (within the Western or Eastern Hemispheres) under study. G2.1.2 Account for topographic and human spatial patterns (where people live) associated with tectonic plates such as volcanoes, earthquakes, settlements (Ring of Fire, recent volcanic and seismic events, settlements in proximity to natural hazards in the Western Hemisphere) by using information from GIS, remote sensing, and the World Wide Web.
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit
G2.2.2 Explain that communities are affected positively or negatively by changes in technology (e.g., Canada with regard to mining, forestry, hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, snowmobiles, cell phones, air travel).
G4.3.2 Describe patterns of settlement by using historical and modern maps (e.g., coastal and river cities and towns in the past and present, locations of megacities – modern cities over 5 million, such as Mexico City, and patterns of agricultural settlements in South and North America). G5.2.1 Describe the effects that a change in the physical environment could have on human activities and the choices people would have to make in adjusting to the change (e.g. drought in northern Mexico, disappearance of forest vegetation in the Amazon, natural hazards and disasters from volcanic eruptions in Central America and the Caribbean and earthquakes in Mexico City and Colombia).
Civics and Government
C3.6.1 Define the characteristics of a nation-state (a specific territory, clearly defined boundaries, citizens, and jurisdiction over people who reside there, laws, and government), and how Western Hemisphere nations interact. C4.3.2 Explain the challenges to governments and the cooperation needed to address international issues in the Western Hemisphere (e.g., migration and human
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
rights). Economics
E2.3.1 Describe the impact of governmental policy (sanctions, tariffs, treaties) on that country and on other countries that use its resources.E3.1.1 Use charts and graphs to compare imports and exports of different countries in the Western Hemisphere and propose generalizations about patterns of economic interdependence. E3.1.2 Diagram or map the movement of a consumer product from where it is manufactured to where it is sold to demonstrate the flow of materials, labor, and capital (e.g., global supply chain for computers, athletic shoes, and clothing). E3.1.3 Explain how communications innovations have affected economic interactions and where and how people work (e.g., internet-based home offices, international work teams, international companies).
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
G Ne ted ces
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lessons Breakdown Title LCEs I
Rncluded esources
eded Resources SuggesResour
Lesson 1
ECI
HWWWW
TiT
ni exThe MaTim .html
arly ivilizations
ntroduction
1.2.4 1.2.1 1.2.2 2.1.1 3.1.5
meline emplate
U ted Streaming Video: The Explorers: Ancient Civilizations of M Maya and the Aztec
ico:
yan History eline: http://www.oneworldjourneys.com/jaguar/mayan_timeline
Intehttp
ractive Map of ancient Mexican cultures: ://www.ancientweb.org/mexico/map/index.html
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 1 Title: Early Civilizations Introduction Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico GLCE:
H1.2.4 Compare and evaluate competing historical perspectives about the past based on proof. W1.2.1 Describe the transition from hunter gatherers to sedentary agriculture (domestication of plants and animals). W1.2.2 Describe the importance of the natural environment in the development of agricultural settlements in different locations (e.g., available water for irrigation, adequate precipitation, and suitable growing season). W2.1.1 Explain how the environment favored hunter gatherer, pastoral, and small scale agricultural ways of life in different parts of the Western Hemisphere. W3.1.5 Construct a timeline of main events on the origin and development of early and classic ancient civilizations of the Western Hemisphere (Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and Incan).
Abstract: Students will watch a video of the major ancient civilizations and create a timeline. Key Concepts:
The emergence of agriculture led to the emergence of agrarian civilizations.
Early cultures (Olmec, Maya, Aztecs) had civilized characteristics such as government, written language, religion, technology, etc., defining them as civilized.
Societies have evolved over time. Sequence of Activities:
1. Show the United Streaming Video: The Explorers: Ancient Civilizations of Mexico: The Maya and the Aztec.
2. Use the websites listed below as a basis for discussion about these early civilizations. 3. Construct a timeline of main events on the origin and development of the Mayans and
Aztecs. Connections: Art (creating timeline) Technology (create a timeline on the Internet) English Language Arts
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Resources Mayan History Timeline: http://www.oneworldjourneys.com/jaguar/mayan_timeline.html Interactive Map of ancient Mexican cultures: http://www.ancientweb.org/mexico/map/index.html
lst Date 2nd Date 3rd Date 4th Date 5th Date 6th Date 7th Date 8th Date 9th Date 10th Date
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Dtio
nf
tes
crip
o E
ven
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 2 Title: Early Civilizations Lesson 2, Comparing the Maya and Aztecs. (*If you have already covered South America, you may wish to include the Inca as well) Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico GLCE:
H1.2.4 Compare and evaluate competing historical perspectives about the past based on proof. W1.2.2 Describe the importance of the natural environment in the development of agricultural settlements in different locations (e.g., available water for irrigation, adequate precipitation, and suitable growing season). W2.1.1 Explain how the environment favored hunter gatherer, pastoral, and small scale agricultural ways of life in different parts of the Western Hemisphere.
Key Concepts:
Early cultures (Olmec, Maya, Aztecs, Inca) had civilized characteristics such as government, written language, religion, technology, etc., defining them as civilized. Sequence of Activities:
1. Divide students into groups. Assign each group 2 ancient civilizations (Aztec, Maya, Inca*, Olmec if desired). Students will create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the 2 groups they were assigned. After each group has completed their Venn Diagram, the entire class can work together to create a class Venn Diagram. This can be a 3 way Venn Diagram, if desired, comparing Aztec, Maya, and Inca.
2. Teacher created extension activities, if desired.
Connections: English Language Arts Resources Background Information for Students and Teachers Aztecs-from http://www.indians.org/welker/aztec.htm
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit The Aztecs/Mexicas were the native American people who dominated northern México at the time of the Spanish conquest led by Hernan CORTES in the early 16th century. According to their own legends, they originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs (who referred to themselves as the Mexica or Tenochca) were a small, nomadic, Nahuatl-speaking aggregation of tribal peoples living on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. Sometime in the 12th century they embarked on a period of wandering and in the 13th century settled in the central basin of México. Continually dislodged by the small city-states that fought one another in shifting alliances, the Aztecs finally found refuge on small islands in Lake Texcoco where, in 1325, they founded the town of TENOCHTITLAN (modern-day Mexico City). The term Aztec, originally associated with the migrant Mexica, is today a collective term, applied to all the peoples linked by trade, custom, religion, and language to these founders.
Fearless warriors and pragmatic builders, the Aztecs created an empire during the 15th century that was surpassed in size in the Americas only by that of the Incas in Peru. As early texts and modern archaeology continue to reveal, beyond their conquests and many of their religious practices, there were many positive achievements:
the formation of a highly specialized and stratified society and an imperial administration
the expansion of a trading network as well as a tribute system
the development and maintenance of a sophisticated agricultural economy, carefully adjusted to the land
and the cultivation of an intellectual and religious outlook that held society to be an integral part of the cosmos.
The yearly round of rites and ceremonies in the cities of Tenochtitlan and neighboring Tetzcoco, and their symbolic art and architecture, gave expression to an ancient awareness of the interdependence of nature and humanity.
The Aztecs remain the most extensively documented of all Amerindian civilizations at the time of European contact in the 16th century. Spanish friars, soldiers, and historians and scholars of Indian or mixed descent left invaluable records of all aspects of life. These ethnohistoric sources, linked to modern archaeological inquiries and studies of ethnologists, linguists, historians, and art historians, portray the formation and flourishing of a complex imperial state.
The Mayan civilization is divided into three time periods which engulfed 3,000 years. The first is the Pre-Classic Period spanning from 2000 B.C.-250 A.D. The second is the Classic Period which spanned from 250 A.D.-900 A.D. The third is the Post-Classic Period which spanned from 900 A.D.-1500 A.D. The Maya lived in the eastern one third of Mesoamerica, mainly on the
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Yucatan Peninsula. They are a group of related Native American tribes who have the same
linguistic organization.
The best known group of Maya are the Maya Proper. The Maya Proper generally occupied the Yucatan. There are other groups of Maya such as the Huastec, who occupied northern Veracruz; the Tzental who occupied Tabasco and Chiapas and the Quiche; and the Cakchiquel and the Pokomam who occupied the Highlands of Guatemala. With the exception of the Huastec, all of these Mayan groups occupied a continuous landscape and they were all part of the Mayan culture. This culture was the greatest civilization among the original cultures of the New World (western hemisphere). Even though the Mayans had common organization, they were not unified under one empire. As suggested above, there were many separate groups with similar cultural backgrounds. The Mayans had common artistic and religious components, but politically they were independent Mayan states.
Agriculture was the main basis of the Mayan economy in the pre-Colombian era. Maize was the primary crop of the Maya. Cotton, beans, squash and cacao were also grown. They had many techniques of spinning, dyeing and weaving cotton. The Mayan culture also domesticated the dog and the turkey, but had no larger animals or machines with wheels.
The Maya had a sophisticated system of writing. It was developed in order to record their transition of power through the generations. This writing was composed of inscriptions on stone and wood, and was usually used on the inside or outside of their architecture. The books they made were called folding tree books. These books were made from fig tree bark and usually placed in the royal tombs. Few of these books have survived due in part to the tropical climate of the region. Also, few of these books have survived due to the Spanish Invasion. Cortez and others claimed their symbolic writing system was the devil's work. Four of these books (codices) survive today. They are as follows: The Dresden Codex, The Madrid Codex, The Paris Codex, and the Grolier Codex.
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
The art of the Maya reflected their lifestyle and culture. Their art was composed of delineation and painting upon paper, building plaster, wood, stone, clay, stucco molds and terra cotta figurineThe advanced process of working with metal was also developed by the Maya, but was of scarce usage. Much of Mayan art consisted inscriptions and architecture, ordered by the kings who wanted to have it done of themselves. They did this to ensure their place in
Mayan history. They also produced fine pottery, which was comparable only to the pottery of Peru. Art was encouraged by men and women of power who strove to create the history of the Mayan people. These art works justified their society and their interactions with surrounding groups.
Cacao beans, copper bells and many other things were used as units of exchange. Copper was not only used for exchange, but for ornamentation as well. Other things, such as gold, silver, jade, shell and colorful plumage were also used as ornaments. The use and making of metal tools was relatively unknown.
The reason for the downfall of the Maya is unknown. However there are several possible reasons for their downfall including soil exhaustion, water loss and erosion, and the competition between agriculture and the surrounding Savanna. Other possibilities include catastrophes such as earthquakes and hurricanes, disease, abundant amounts of high social structure and invasions by other surrounding people and cultures.
The collapse of the Maya has many explanations ranging from the hypotheses stated above, to single catastrophic events. However, even with all these possibilities, no one really knows what happened to them. The collapse of the Maya remains one of the most intriguing events in human history. References http://www.indians.org/welker/maya.htm http://pacific.st.usm.edu/~tgparker/maya.html http://udgftp.cencar.udg.mx/ingles/Precolombia/Maya/temp19.html. http://udgftp.cencar.udg.mx/ingles/Precolombina/Maya/mayasintro.html Encarta Encyclopedia 1996, "Maya", by Microsoft Maya Ruins in Central America in Color, by William M. Ferguson and John Q. Royce, 1986. Late Lowland Maya Civilization, School of American Research Advanced Seminar Series, Edited by Jeremy A Sabloff and E. Wyllys Andrews V, 1986. The Classic Maya Collapse, edited by T. Patrick Culbert, 1973.
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Olmec-from http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/latinamerica/meso/cultures/olmec.html Among the various Mesoamerican Pre-Classic period (1200 BCE-400 BCE) groups, the Olmec are the most well-known. The Olmec heartland was centered in La Venta in Tabasco, and San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan and Laguna de los Cerros in Veracruz. The Olmec were a highly developed and well organized group with a complex calendar and hieroglyphic writing system. They also created unique art objects.
Olmec cities were constructed around a central raised mound, which was used for religious ceremonies. Around 900 BCE, these raised mounds were replaced with pyramid-shaped structures. Society began to separate into divisions arranged in a hierarchy, as is shown in the change in residential patterns. The houses were made of wooden walls with clay and palm roof tops.
An irrigation system that ran through the city supplied water for crop production. Crops were supplemented by fishing and hunting. The Olmecs had access to many waterways which were used for fishing and the transportation of people and trade goods. Basalt, found in the distant Tuxtla Mountains, was used to construct plazas, religious pyramid structures, and the large stone headsthe Olmecs are known for carving. As it came from other areas, basalt likely was a traded commodity that demonstrates links with other cultures isurrounding areas.
n the
Olmec religion strongly featured animals and animal symbolism; they likely practiced shamanism. Hallucinogenic drugs from a marine toad and/or several mushroom species may have been used by the shamans to enter trances. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent in Teotihuacan is an example of an Olmec
ceremonial site.
Olmecs are most well-known for their colossal head statues. The heads were possibly modeled after notable citizens, probably leaders. Most of the colossal heads were defaced or destroyed in some way. They were likely altered after the regional center in which it is affiliated with lost prominence, by a conquering group, or the Olmecs did this themselves after a ruler died as a sacrifice to the gods or animal spirits. The facial features of the heads were people with slanted eyes and large lips. Many have argued over whether the Olmecs
were of African or Asia descent, because of these facial features. Others believe that this is just an overgeneralization. Most of the heads were deformed, which was likely done at birth for noble children, as the Mayan culture did.
Other motifs in Olmec art consist of jaguars, serpents and monkeys. Many of the art objects show a transition between human and animal figures, which demonstrates a connection between
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
the two. Most sculptures were made of jade, which was also not found in the Olmec region. This must have been traded from an outside location.
VENN DIAGRAM TEMPLATE
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 3 Title: Mayan Hieroglyphs Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico GLCE:
W2.1.3 Use multiple sources of evidence to describe how the culture of early peoples of North America reflected the geography and natural resources available (e.g., Inuit of the Arctic, Kwakiutl of the Northwest Coast; Anasazi and Apache of the Southwest).
Key Concepts:
Early cultures (Olmec, Maya, Aztecs, Inca) had civilized characteristics such as government, written language, religion, technology, etc., defining them as civilized. Sequence of Activities:
1. Students will go to the website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/maya/glyp_wave.html and investigate hieroglyphs made by the early Mayan civilizations.
2. After the online activity, have the students participate in an extension activity such as
creating their own hieroglyphic alphabet or designing their own hieroglyph or other ideas created by the teacher.
Connections: English Language Arts Resources
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Abstract: In this lesson students will create a map of Mexico and learn about the physical features of Mexico.
Key Concepts: Identify the location of the major landforms and cities of Mexico.
GLCE: G1.1.2 Draw a sketch map from memory of the Western Hemisphere showing the major regions (Canada, United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, and Caribbean). G1.3.1 Use the fundamental themes of geography (location, place, human environment interaction, movement, region) to describe regions or places on earth. G1.2.4 Use observations from air photos, photographs (print and CD), films (VCR and DVD) as the basis for answering geographic questions about the human and physical characteristics of places and regions. G1.2.5 Use information from modern technology such as Geographic Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and satellite remote sensing to locate information and process maps and data to analyze spatial patterns of the Western Hemisphere to answer geographic questions. G1.2.3 Use data to create thematic maps and graphs showing patterns of population, physical terrain, rainfall, and vegetation, analyze the patterns and then propose two generalizations about the location and density of the population. G.1.1.1 Describe how geographers use mapping to represent places and natural and human phenomena in the world. G2.1.1 Describe the landform features and the climate of the region (within the Western or Eastern Hemispheres) under study.
Sequence of Activities:
1. Use Google Earth or examine a map of Mexico to discuss absolute and relative location
and the major landforms and cities.
2. Students will create a map of Mexico, write notes about the physical features, vegetation, climate, and natural resources of Mexico.
Connections: Art, Math (through use of rulers and measurement tools), Writing
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Resources Google Earth World Atlas
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 5 Title: Geography of Mexico: Movement of People Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico Time: 1 week Abstract: Students will explore the lives of migrant workers and understand the causes and results of migration from Mexico to the United States. Key Concepts: Today, many citizens of Mexico are leaving the rural areas for Mexico City and others are migrating to the United States. GLCE:
G4.4.1 Identify factors that contribute to conflict and cooperation between and among cultural groups (control/use of natural resources, power, wealth, and cultural diversity). G4.1.1 Identify and explain examples of cultural diffusion within the Americas (e.g., baseball, soccer, music, architecture, television, languages, health care, Internet, consumer brands, currency, restaurants, international migration). G4.3.2 Describe patterns of settlement by using historical and modern maps (e.g., coastal and river cities and towns in the past and present, locations of megacities – modern cities over 5 million, such as Mexico City, and patterns of agricultural settlements in South and North America)
Sequence of Activities:
1. Read stories from Voice of the Field: Children of Migrant Farm Workers by S. Beth Atkin.
2. Discuss why people move and the ways movement affects people both internationally
and intra-nationally (migrant workers, legal and illegal immigration, etc.).
3. Write an essay or journal entry from the point of view of a character from the story. Connections: Language Arts: Literature Circles using Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, The Circuit by Francisco Jimenex and Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs. Collect current events about migrant workers and illegal immigration.
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Resources
Voice of the Field: Children of Migrant Farm Workers by S. Beth Atkin
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 6 Title: Movement of Goods Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico GLCE:
E3.1.2 Diagram or map the movement of a consumer product from where it is manufactured to where it is sold to demonstrate the flow of materials, labor, and capital (e.g., global supply chain for computers, athletic shoes, and clothing). C4.3.2 Explain the challenges to governments and the cooperation needed to address international issues in the Western Hemisphere (e.g., migration and human rights). E2.3.1 Describe the impact of governmental policy (sanctions, tariffs, treaties) on that country and on other countries that use its resources.
Abstract: In this lesson students will trace the changing path of trade goods to and from Mexico. Key Concepts: Diagram or map movement of a consumer product from where it is manufactured to where it is sold. Sequence of Activities:
1. Students will search around the classroom for items manufactured in Mexico. They will
write the name of their item on a post-it note and stick it on a map of North America. 2. Use an erasable marker or string to trace the route from Mexico to their hometown. 3. This activity will be repeated several times throughout units to demonstrate the global
economy. 4. Alternate option: students may bring in items from their homes which were manufactured
in Mexico to complete the same activity. 5. Teacher created extension activities, if desired.
Connections: English Language Arts Resources CIA world fact book
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 7 Title: Economics Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico GLCE:
C3.6.1 Define the characteristics of a nation-state (a specific territory, clearly defined boundaries, citizens, and jurisdiction over people who reside there, laws, and government), and how Western Hemisphere nations interact. C4.3.2 Explain the challenges to governments and the cooperation needed to address international issues in the Western Hemisphere (e.g., migration and human rights E2.3.1 Describe the impact of governmental policy (sanctions, tariffs, treaties) on that country and on other countries that use its resources. E3.1.1 Use charts and graphs to compare imports and exports of different countries in the Western Hemisphere and propose generalizations about patterns of economic interdependence. E3.1.2 Diagram or map the movement of a consumer product from where it is manufactured to where it is sold to demonstrate the flow of materials, labor, and capital (e.g., global supply chain for computers, athletic shoes, and clothing).
Time: 2-4 days Abstract: In this lesson, students will learn about the history of NAFTA and its impact on the economies of the United States and Mexico (and Canada if desired). Key Concepts: Governmental policy, such as NAFTA impacts the economies of nations as well as the lives of citizens. Sequence of Activities:
1. Students will learn about the history of NAFTA and its impact on the economies of the United States and Mexico by going through the lesson at
• What are the arguments both for and against the current policies of the U.S. government at the Mexico/United States border?
• What are the major problems and controversies associated with the Mexico/United States border?
• What are some possible solutions to these problems?
3. Compare the impact of NAFTA on Canada to the impact on Mexico.
4. You may want to have students compare the pictures of the Canadian and Mexican borders if you did not do so in the Canada unit. If you did so already, you may want to revisit this activity briefly, as a refresher.
Connections: Math and technology Students will study charts and graphs and compare and contrast the amount of exports and imports over a period of time and how it has affected the economies of both countries. Collect current events about NAFTA from its inception to now Resources
http://www.e-connections.org/lesson1/Tlesson1.htm
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 8 Title: Mexico’s Road to Independence Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico GLCE:
C3.6.1 Define the characteristics of a nation-state (a specific territory, clearly defined boundaries, citizens, and jurisdiction over people who reside there, laws, and government), and how Western Hemisphere nations interact. C4.3.2 Explain the challenges to governments and the cooperation needed to address international issues in the Western Hemisphere (e.g., migration and human rights). H1.4.2 Describe and use themes of history to study patterns of change and continuity. H1.2.5 Identify the role of the individual in history and the significance of one person’s ideas.
Time: 2 – 3 days Key Concepts: Students will study the history of Mexico and the challenges faced in seeking independence from Spain. Sequence of Activities:
1. Use the website from PBS-The Border to study the history of the U.S./Mexico border:
2. Watch the United Streaming video: Mexico: Its People, History, and Government and create a timeline of important events in Mexico’s road to independence.
3. Students will select an important person in Mexico’s history and create a journal of
his/her life, written in the first person. Connections: Language Arts, Math Resources
lst Date 2nd Date 3rd Date 4th Date 5th Date 6th Date 7th Date 8th Date 9th Date 10th Date
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Dtio
nf
tes
crip
o E
ven
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Des
crip
tion
of E
vent
Sixth Grade Mexico Unit Lesson 9 Title: Mexico Today Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Mexico Time: 1 – 3 days Abstract: Key Concepts: Students will understand the struggles of living in Mexico today, as well as the unique culture that rose through the influence of the Spanish as well as native groups. GLCE:
C3.6.1 Define the characteristics of a nation-state (a specific territory, clearly defined boundaries, citizens, and jurisdiction over people who reside there, laws, and government), and how Western Hemisphere nations interact. C4.3.2 Explain the challenges to governments and the cooperation needed to address international issues in the Western Hemisphere (e.g., migration and human rights). G5.2.1 Describe the effects that a change in the physical environment could have on human activities and the choices people would have to make in adjusting to the change (e.g. drought in northern Mexico, disappearance of forest vegetation in the Amazon, natural hazards and disasters from volcanic eruptions in Central America and the Caribbean and earthquakes in Mexico City and Colombia). W1.2.2 Describe the importance of the natural environment in the development of agricultural settlements in different locations (e.g., available water for irrigation, adequate precipitation, and suitable growing season).
Sequence of Activities:
1. View the United Streaming videos Discovery Atlas: Mexico Revealed Short Stories and Mexico – The People.
2. Students will study the government of Mexico today, environmental issues, culture, and natural disasters of the region by reading and analyzing current events and through studying the website www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/government/html/home.html.
3. Collect current events about Mexico and summarize findings using the five themes of geography. This may be done in groups or individually, depending on the preference of the teacher and the dynamics of the classroom.
Calhoun ISD Social Studies Curriculum Design Project
